Any scheme to permanently fix a collapsed road in Swanscombe caused by a major landslip will take years to complete and prove very costly, it has emerged.
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00:00Repairing this stretch of road was never going to be easy.
00:04It's been almost two years since Galley Hill Road collapsed.
00:08But now two solutions for fixing the landslip have been put forward.
00:13Either bridging the gap, similar to that of the HS1 crossing down the road,
00:18or a reinforced earth embankment.
00:22Both will be incredibly expensive,
00:25and the estimated cost being kept secret for legal reasons.
00:29The reality is, the figure that we've been given now isn't what it's going to cost,
00:34because there are all those unknowns.
00:36Where's that money going to have to come from? Can KCC pay for it?
00:39KCC do not have that money available.
00:41So government have got to pay for it?
00:42We need government to assist, whether that's a loan,
00:46and then we can go through litigation to find who's at fault,
00:49and actually get that money back, and then pay it back, or whatever.
00:53But you've heard tonight the importance,
00:56and the fact that it's being fully supported by the two local MPs is excellent.
01:00At a recent public meeting, locals packed into this hall.
01:04It's been a long two years for them.
01:07They've had lorries getting lost on diversions,
01:09increased traffic, and impacts to their bus routes.
01:13And all of that and more has been estimated to have dented the local economy
01:18by some two million pounds.
01:21So a repair welcomed,
01:23but they know it could take some time to find for funding.
01:26Due to have a meeting with the Roads Minister Lillian Grievo once more,
01:30it was good to get her down just after the election because she's seen it.
01:33Now I can go in with Lauren and actually talk to her to say,
01:37look, there's some solutions on the table now.
01:40We badly need you to act, provide a funding package,
01:44and that's particularly needed because, as Toby said,
01:47we all know Kent County Council is virtually bankrupt.
01:50Some of the other potential litigants in the way
01:53in which it's going to be decided who's liable.
01:56As the second anniversary approaches,
01:58the two MPs will hope to come back with good news.
02:02But even then, they won't have much to celebrate
02:06as any repair will take at least three years to complete.
02:10Gabriel Morris in Swanscombe.